[cma-l] Community Radio Order
Ian Hickling
transplanfm at hotmail.com
Thu Jan 15 07:56:48 GMT 2015
Don't be too hard on Ed VaizeyI've found him to be concerned and quick to reactAfter a pointed e-mail he motivated a result with Ofcom on a problem that had been brewing for months.The important point here is that if you submit a question to a Minister via your MP he has to respond in writing within 14 days.Bear in mind that the question(s) should be polite, simple, short and to the pointIf the response is inadequate - what do you do?Throw up your hands in despair?
No!
You write back and point out that he hasn't answered your question.I agree wholeheartedly with Nick.Having the word "no" continually thrown back at you without valid explanation is unacceptable in what we believe passes for a democracy.Ian
From: office at thethread.org.uk
To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk; chair at commedia.org.uk; bill.best at commedia.org.uk
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 18:17:18 +0000
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Community Radio Order
Dear All
I have been in liaison with our local MP
David Rutley for the last 3 – 4 months on a number of issues regarding
Community Radio. He has passed my observations and thoughts onto Ed Vaizey.
Thus far, I have received nothing back from Mr Vaizey. I did have a response
from him about 2 years ago and I was grateful for that. But as I have pointed
out before, the response was disappointing at best and worse
still 1) Didn’t actually answer either of the questions
and then 2) invented a question which he answered himself
commenting on the money we received from the Community Radio Fund …. If you
put my questions to his response I would argue that the first word that springs
to mind with most people would be ‘’’patronising’’’
[ Bearing in mind of course that the fund
is exactly the same now as it was 10 years ago and is now only able to give an
apple and an orange and a tuppenny bit ] it also still has people bidding
against each other when in fact the key word in Community Radio is
equality (and
opportunity) haves and have nots is
NOT equality
When you say no to someone, there has to
be a reason as to why. People constantly coming back telling me something I
already know does not put things to bed.
The problem I find that we have had over
the past 11 years or so (meaning all of us) is that we make observations, we
represent ourselves well, we create a discussion with valid points and we back
up those points with proof and good sound arguments and then receive answers
that basically (as I have said) tell us what we already know and then take no
action leaving the status quo.
I’m afraid it is that status quo
that has had ‘some’ bearing on ‘some’ Stations keeling
over. Ed Vaizey or whoever it has been over the past 10 years Mr
Hunt etc etc are not Ministers for Commercial Radio, they are Ministers for all
of us, and although this is opinion, I do think taking everything above into
account AND the fact that this has rumbled on and on and on for years and years
AND the fact that there are still 3 major Community Radio Stations in
restriction bracket number one, it basically turns the whole thing into a
Circus. The status quo is no longer acceptable, I for one am fed up of it. I’m
also fed up of having to repeatedly write lengthy e-mails and you are all fed
up of having to read them J LOL
I don’t want to jump the gun, and I
don’t want to compromise anything and I am absolutely 100% positive that
Bill and Dom fully understand the concerns and have battled like mad to get
things done. Dom has been like Marco Polo travelling the globe to get opinions
first hand and see for himself, he is fully clued up and has gotten stuck in
there.
HOWEVER and yes, there
is an however. There must be a Plan B, as I sadly am not convinced (hopefully
on this instance I will be proved completely wrong / let’s hope hope hope
so) the Plan B has to be ACTION, NOT more
lengthy meetings, not more going around the Trees over and over and over again.
There fundamental things that must be done to ensure a safe and viable future
for Community Radio.
1) Restrictions gone ! or at
least restrictions focusing on what we spend the money on and not how we obtain
the money. This prevents the Stations going off at a tangent as back door
commercial outfits
2) Licences extended now, so that
opportunists who we have never heard of before don’t come encroaching on
the success of the projects using it for their own means.
3) Where there were hiccups in licensing,
little tweaks can be made
4) Community Radio Fund larger and
everyone receives the same ie:- NO bidding
process
Basically, having the word ‘no’
‘no’ ‘no’ thrown at you without valid explanation is
not acceptable.
To sum it up it is almost as if we have
had GREY people hitting us between the eyes with BLACK & WHITE rulings
when what we actually need is :-
BLACK & WHITE concrete decision makers
who can create GREY areas allowing room for manoeuvre & common sense.
Sadly, the powers that be have turned a
simple straight forward project into a ball of confusion. A bit of fairness is
what is needed.
Anyway, let’s wait and see …….
I’m hoping that my reaction is the same as when Rodney and Del Boy
received the news in the auction about the Watch LOL
Finally, I hear what Ian is saying, but
responding mustn’t be in the form of a question, it needs to be in the
form of a statement, telling them what we will be doing. It will deal with the
situation once and for all, and in-house in our own fraternity it will show those
who are willing to join together as a team / brotherhood / network and those
who simply operate the ‘’I’m alright Jack policy’’
always remember the divide and conquer … works a treat mateys, please don’t
let them do it.
I await a response, which possibly will
ask ‘’well what do we do’’
I have a number of suggestions for starters.
Look at Ians statement …. He uses
the word ‘’’need’’’
11/12/13 years down the line we are still using the word [need] as opposed to [want]
or [would like] shows there has been a major ba--------------------------lls up
as far as I am concerned.
Fingers crossed … I will be the
first to thank and congratulate the people who make things better for Community
Radio
Nick
From:
cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Ian Hickling
Sent: 14 January 2015 16:02
To: The Community Media
Association Discussion List
Subject: [cma-l] Community Radio
Order
Thanks Dom
Can we be assured that if it isn't all we need it to be
then the CMA will respond immediately on behalf of the Membership?
Ian
From: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 14:56:12 +0000
To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Subject: [cma-l] Community Radio Order Update from the CMA Chair
To CMA members,
This is to let you know that The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
contacted me this morning.
We can expect a ministerial announcement from Ed Vaizey at the end of next week
regarding the long awaited Community Radio Order.
We’ll bring you more information when we have it.
Best to all,
Dom
Chambers
Chair
Mobile: +44 (0) 7802 457 396
Direct Line: +44 (0) 1761 568 004
CMA Office: +44 (0) 1142 795 219
Email: Chair at Commedia.org.uk
Personal Twitter: @TheDomChambers
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